Distribution

We don't think of ourselves as arthouses. We're street fighters for signature films.

DAVID LINDE

Former Co-President of Focus Features and Current Co-Chairman

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Long before Carl Laemmle produced his first maverick film, middlemen existed (as did agents, attorneys, and litigation). These intermediaries bought low and sold high even then. Among the most maligned of all entrepreneurs, middlemen are still harshly criticized for doing their job.

Motion picture distributors are middlemen, and they are a curious lot. They are viewed either as people of tremendous skill, nourishing the growth of business, or as flimflam artists reaping obscene profits. Like politicians, distributors are sometimes seen as a necessary ...

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